May we develop, we must remember: Lubaaa Himid & Anicka Yi at UCCA

The works of pioneering artists Lubaina Himid and Anicka Yi appears at the moment on 798 Art District’s UCCA Center to modern art. First in contradictory contradictory in Persperive (with Himid focused on remembering, honor and recontextualizing the past, while Yi is hungry towards the future and new ways of being), the ultimately complementary artistic focus of Himid and YI, in works presented separately, even with each, open and engage in a necessary conversation about the story of history and changes.

“Lubaina Himid” – Lubaa Himid

Lubaina Himid, born in Zanzibar, Tanzania, in 1954, is a British artist whose career spans more than four decades. Her work explores, among other themes, marginalization, resilience, personal history, identity, recently the African diaspora and the legacy of British colonialism. She was a key figure in the British black art movement in the 1980s, and in 2017 she became the first black woman to won the prestigious Turner prize. This is her first solo show in China.

“Lubaa Himid” is a collection of 19 groups of works that provide a comprehensive reflection of or introduction to Himid’s career from the 1980s to today. There are a number of important pieces on the screen including A fashionable marriage (1986), Naming the money (2004), The Level B series, Swallow Hard: The Lancaster Dinner Service (2007) and Blue Grid Test (2020).

Himid’s characteristic paint style, bold colors, unconventional and multidimensional presentations, use of found objects and sound work to create multilayer’s storytelling that engages the audience directly in a conversation about the global black experience and poses a powerful challenge to receive, dominant historical tales.

“Lubaina Himid” at UCCA runs until April 27.

“There is another development but in this one” – Anicka Yi

Born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1971, Anicka Yi is a New York-based Korean American artist who has emerged as one of today’s most experimental and provocative ads. Her practice merges scientific research, biology and technology with a deep interest in cosmology, spirituality and biography, resulting in a work that defies conventional boundaries.

Yi’s works collapse time, blending of advanced technology with primordial life forms to question evolution, identity and belonging, and many of her installations ranging from microbial cultures blooming in Petry bowls to AI-Generated Liquid Amoebas, exploring the blurred lines between human, expensive, plant and machine that engages viewer in the caller one of the senses. “

Yi’s art is by nature political, and often reflects anxiety about infection, cleanliness and immigration, while dialogue creates dialogue between science and creativity. Her installations, such as tempura-spelled flowers in mylar balloons or biologized machines inspired by 500 million year old zooplankton, activate vivid, fictional scenarios that resonate with modern problems.

“There is another development, but in this” at UCCA runs until June 15.

Visiting the exhibitions

Tickets are RMB 100 each. A ticket gives access to both exhibitions; However, each ticket is only good for a day/entry, so it is strongly suggested to see both exhibitions at the same time. The venue estimates that both exhibitions can be seen in approx. 45 minutes in total. I got through in about 1.5 hours.

If you are not familiar with UCCA’s layout, you must be informed that the Lubaaa Himid exhibition is contained in the smaller West, new and central galleries (the exhibition begins with the West Gallery) and the Anicka Yi exhibition is in the large hall, behind the first three galleries. The entrance to the Anicka Yi exhibition is located in the passage between the last two galleries in the Lubaina Himid exhibition; If you start your visit with Lubaa Himid, you will have to circle back to the start, turn left and then go directly to enter the Anicka Yi exhibition.